Concrete wall form panel with partial studding



May 27, 1969 G. F. BOWDEN T AL CONCRETE WALL FORM PANEL WITH PARTIAL STUDDING Filed Dec. 27, 1966 INVENTORSL GEORGE E BOWDEN JOHN GILBERT By United States Patent 3,446,470 CONCRETE WALL FORM PANEL WITH PARTIAL STUDDING George F. Bowden, Northbrook, and John R. Gilbert, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Symons Mfg. Company, Des Plaines, III., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 604,728 Int. Cl. E04g 9/00; E04c 2/00 US. Cl. 249-192 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates generally to a concrete wall form panel and has particular reference to a prefabricated rectangular concrete wall form panel which consists of a plywood facing the longitudinal side edges of which are reinforced by metal studding and the transverse end edges of which are inherently reinforced solely by predominant grain direction that exists in the plywood of which the facing is fabricated.

There has long been on the market and in substantial commercial use a class of reusable prefabricated concrete wall form panels which are manufactured by Symons Mfg. Company of Des Plaines, Illinois and are known commercially as Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panels, depending upon whether the metal studding around the plywood facings is formed of steel or a magnesium alloy. Such Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panels are fabricated in that they are assembled at the factory rather than in the field, and as previously indicated, consist of rectangular plywood facings and rectangular marginal reinforcing frames in the form of steel or magnesium alloy studding. The vertical (side) and horizontal (end) members of the rectangular marginal reinforcing frames are in the form of channel stock lengths which are rolled to special shape and then perforated, notched and otherwise fashioned in order properly to receive the edges of the plywood facings, and also to facilitate the use of suitable fastening devices or other concrete wall form hardware whereby adjacent and also opposed panels may be fastened together in rigid relationship for concrete wall form forming purposes. Such panels are used to provide a knock-down type of concrete wall form installation and are reusable many times in successive installations. They frequently are furnished to contractors or builders on a rental basis, and because of their durability, they are possessed of an extremely long commercial life. The metal reinforcing frames of the panels are practically'indestructible, and when a given plywood facing has become worn or damaged in connection with use, the panel is returned to the factory and a new or rehabilitated plywood facing is installed therein so that the panel may continue in service.

Concrete Wall form panels of the type under consideration are subjected to repeated handling and, there fore, every effort must be made to keep the weight of such panels to a minimum. Furthermore, due to the care with which the panels must be manufactured and the near precision tolerances, which must be maintained 'if the panels are to prove serviceable over a long period of time the manufacturing cost of the panels is relatively high. Weight and cost, therefore, present problems which have long plagued the manufacturers of Steel-Ply, MagPly and otherconcrete wall form panels employing metal studding for facing reinforcing purposes.

The present invention is concerned with a low cost concrete wall form panel which compares favorably with a conventional Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panel from the standpoint of serviceability, yet which may be manufac tured at a considerably lower cost while possessing comparable strength. Furthermore, the particular panel that constitutes the present invention is appreciably lighter in weight than a conventional or standard concrete wall form panel, especially when the facing reinforcing studding thereof is formed of steel and the comparison is made with a Steel-Ply panel of commensurate longitudinal and transverse dimensions.

In carrying out the-invention, the usual horizontal or end frame members at the opposite ends of the plywood facing are dispensed with and the transverse reinforcement that is ordinarily offered by these end frame members is compensated by the use of a thicker plywood facing and, moreover, by a facing in which the predominant grain thereof extends counter to or transversely of the longitudinal direction of the panel as a whole. Only vertical or side frame members are em ployed as the facing reinforcing studding along the longitudinal or side edges of the plywood facing and pulling of these side frame members laterally away from each other during handling or installation of the panel in connection with the formation of a concrete wall form is prevented by a novel means for anchoring the same directly to the plywood facing. The particular anchoring means between the vertical or side frame members and the side edges of the plywood facing is conducive toward at more intimate wood-to-metal.union along the side edges of the panel than has heretofore been possible in connection with a conventional or standard concrete wall form panel wherein the studding type metal reinforcing frame extends completely around the plywood facing. The absence of end frame members, of intermediate crossbars such as are required with large Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply panels to prevent plywood facing bulging under the outward thrust of the wet concrete, and of special struts for rivet anchoring purposes as is the case with conventional Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply concrete wall form panels, contribute largely to this reduction in both 'cost and weight without sacrificing the ruggedness and durability that are a requisite for any concrete wall form -panel which is to be repeatedly reused in the field.

The provision of a concrete wall form of the afore- 'mentioned type and character constitutes the principal object of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will readily suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood by way of consideration of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming -a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown. I

In these drawings:

FIG 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a concrete wall form panel embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the panel of FIG. 1 as viewed from the plane 22 of FIG. 1 and in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the low cost concrete wall form panel which is disclosed or illustrated therein constitutes the preferred form or embodiment of the invention and consists of a rectangular plywood facing 10 and a pair of longitudinally extending reinforcing side members 12 which may be formed of a suitable metal such as steel or a magnesium alloy. When the members 12 are of steel, they may be formed by a rolling process and when formed of a magnesium alloy, they may be extruded. Irrespective, however, of the particular manner in which the side members 12 are formed, the essential features thereof remain substantially the same. The two side members 12 are identical in construction. They are of unitary or one-piece construction and are preferably similar in design and function to the vertical or side frame members of the studding forming rectangular reinforcing frame of a conventional or standard Steel- Ply panel, a typical example of such a panel being disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,246,871, granted on April 19, 1966 and entitled Rivetless Concrete Wall Form Panel With Plywood Pacing and Metal Studding. Accordingly, the side members 12 are of shallow channel shape in cross section and each member includes outside and inside laterally and outwardly extending ribs 14 and 16 and an interconnecting web portion 18. Each side member 12 also includes a laterally and inwardly extending flange 20 of appreciable width and of a thickness that is preferably, but not necessarily, substantially equal to the thickness of one of the wooden plies of the plywood facing. In the illustrated form of the invention, the plywood facing is of the five-ply variety in which the various plies are of equal thickness. The flange of each side member 12 is set inwardly from the forward longitudinal edge of the side member a distance equal to the combined thickness of two of the plies of the facing 10 so that the outer or front face of the facing lies flush with the front edge of the side member.

The flanges 20 of the two side members 12 constitute attachment flanges by means of which the side members are secured to the longitudinal edges of the plywood panel 10. Accordingly, each of the two vertical or longitudinal edges of the panel 10 has formed therein a relatively deep groove 22 for reception of the attachment flange 20 of the adjacent side member 12. The depth and width of each groove 22 is equal to the width and thicktress of the flange 20 which it receives. Each flange 20 thus completely fills the associated groove 22 and the side edges of the plywood facing 10 abut against the inside faces of the web portions 18 of the two side members 12 as clearly shown in the drawings. In order to retain the flanges 20 within the grooves 22 and against dislodgment, fastening devices which preferably are in the form of nut and bolt assemblies 24 pass through aligned or registering holes 26 and 28 in the side marginal portions of the plywood panel 10 and the flanges 20 of the side member 12, respectively (see FIG. 2). Under certain circumstances, it may be found desirable to employ rivets in the place of the nut and bolt assemblies '24. In either event, the portions of the holes 26 that are in the front face of the plywood facing 10 are countersunk to the end that the heads of either the bolts or the rivets may lie flush with the working plane or face of the plywood facing.

As is conventional in connection with the side frame members of a conventional Steel-Ply or Mag-Ply concrete wall form panel, the side members 12 are equipped for cooperation with conventional concrete wall form hardware in the form of T-bolt and wedge assemblies by means of which adjacent panels may be held together in a concrete wall form installation, and with tie rod devices by means of which the opposite wall form sides may be maintained in their spaced relationship for reception of the wet poured concrete therebetween. Exemplary of such a conventional Steel-Ply panel having side frame members thus equipped is US. Patent No. 2,994,120, granted on Aug. 1, 1961, and entitled Concrete Wall Form Extension Bracket.

Accordingly, each of the side members 12 is formed with clearance notches in the outwardly extending ribs 14 and 16 for passage therethrough of combined tie rod and spreader devices (not shown). Horizontal slots 32 are provided in the web portions 18 of the side members 12 for the reception of the wedge parts of T-bolt and wedge assemblies (also not shown) which serve to draw adjacent concrete wall form panels together and also to anchor the ends of the aforementioned combined tie rod and spreader devices. For a full disclosure of a concrete wall form panel which is secured in position in a concrete wall form installation by combined tie rod and spreader devices and by T-bolt and wedge assem- 'blies, reference may be had to aforementioned Patent No. 2,994,120, it being borne in mind that the side membars 12 of the present panel may similarly be secured in -position. While it is possible that the two side members 12 may be formed of steel, these members are not readily susceptible to the usual rolling mill operations that are employed in manufacturing conventional Steel-Ply panels due to the relatively great transverse width of the flange 20 and due to the requirement for sharp edges which are not readily produced in steel by rolling mill machinery. The two side members 20, therefore, are preferably formed of a magnesium or other suitable light-weight alloy which is susceptible to an extruding operation.

Apart from its relatively low cost and light-weight construction, the present concrete wall form panel is possessed of several advantages over conventional Steel-Ply and Mag-Ply panels. The absence of end frame members contributes largely to the lightness of the panel as a whole and also facilitates panel facing resurfacing operations and panel facing replacement. The panel may readily be dismantled for facing replacement by merely removing the nut and bolt assemblies 24 and pulling the two side members 12 laterally to withdraw the flanges 20 from their respective grooves 22 in the side edges or marginal portions of the plywood facing 10. Panel facing replacement is effected by a reversal of this process.

Preferably the panel facing 10 is of the five-ply type in which the thickness of all of the plies is equal. The grooves 22 are preferably formed by a conventional routing operation, utilizing a routing tool of a width substantially equal to the thickness of the medial or intermediate ply with the depth of out being equal to the transverse width of the associated flange 20. However, it is possible to prefabricate the plywood facing 10 by utilizing full size plies for the four outermost plies and utilizing an undersize medial ply. Under certain circumstances, it may be found desirable to dispense with the fastening devices 24 and to secure the flanges 20 within their respective grooves 22 by a suitable bonding agent, such as an epoxy resin or the like. When the plywood facing 10 is formed of five plies, the grain structure of the two outer plies and the medial ply is arranged so that it extends transversely of the panel as a whole. As a result of this, the dominant grain structure of the panel 10 extends counter to, or transversely of, the longitudinal direction of the panel to the end that the panel is reinforced to the maximum extent against transverse bending or deflection.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention is particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A three-piece concrete wall form panel comprising in combination, a rectangular plywood facing having longitudinal side edges and transverse end edges, each side edge being provided with a centrally disposed longitudinal groove therein coextensively with the edge, a pair of longitudinally extending metal reinforcing side members straddling said plywood facing and coextensive with the side edges thereof respectively, each side member being generally of shallow channel shape in transverse cross section and including inside and outside laterally extending ribs and an interconnecting web portion, said web portion being formed with a series of longitudinally spaced slots therein designed for reception of fastening devices whereby the panel may be maintained in clamped relation with adjacent similar panels, said ribs being provided with clearance notches for passage therethrough of combined tie rod and spreader devices, said web portion being further provided with an inwardly extending attachment flange which lies in the medial plane of the plywood facing and projects into and substantially fills the groove in the adjacent side edge of the facing, said latter side edge abutting the inner face of the web coextensively throughout the longitudinal extent thereof, and a plurality of clamping and fastening devices having shank portions which extend completely through each attachment flange and the side walls of the respective groove into which the flange projects, and also having inner and outer enlargements at the opposite ends of the shank portions which bear against said side walls and clamp the same therebetween, the outer enlargements being countersunk in the plywood facing and terminating flush with and constituting coplanar continuations of the outer surface of the facing.

2. A three-piece concrete wall form panel as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said plywood facing is of the five-ply variety and the transverse thickness of each attachment flange is substantially equal to the transverse thickness of the medial ply of the plywood facing.

3. A three-piece concrete wall form panel as set forth in claim 2 and wherein each reinforcing side member is of one-piece construction and the predominant grain structure of the plywood facing extends counter to, or transversely of, the longitudinal direction of the panel as a whole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,640,249 6/1953 Symons 249l91 2,734,789 2/1956 Wilson 52-623 X 2,976,597 3/1961 Elam 249-- X 3,137,909 6/1964 Bonin et al. 249-191 3,362,674 1/1968 Gilbert 249-192 X I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

J. S. BROWN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 52--623 

